Various Artists

I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas

(AWR)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Ever since our launch date nearly four years ago (egads!), The Red Alert has always taken music from any and all comers.  Countless buckets of padded envelopes later, it would be facetious to pretend that we don’t have a few favorites – a few return addresses that are sure to spark interest even before the contents have been divulged.  In addition to the usual label suspects (Sub Pop, Merge, etc.), there are a number of PR companies like Daniel Gill’s Force Field PR that consistently deliver the goods.

Gill himself has stepped in as curator of I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas, a digital-only compilation that benefits Amnesty International.

If your idea of Christmas has been best communicated by Mariah Carey, Bono and/or Bing Crosby, then this may not be the stocking stuffer for you.  If, on the other hand, you yearn to have some seasonal spice on your speakers but gag at the thought of boisterously singing “fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la,” and if your tastes run toward the indie/hipster side of the spectrum, then this is a download well worth seeking out.

Au Revoir Simone start the compilation with a tranquil take of “Christmastime Is Here.”  The selection sets the mood appropriately; the Vince Guaraldi classic perfectly conveys the holiday mixture of merriness and melancholy (with its wistful conclusion of “Oh, that we could always see such spirit through the year”).  It’s hard to imagine ever craving Au Revoir Simone’s version more than the Guaraldi gem, but it’s an effective lead-in nonetheless.

There are a few other bones thrown to traditionalists late in the album – Bosque Brown’s fairly straightforward take on “Silent Night” and an instrumental version of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” by The Papercuts.  Others take a more experimental approach with the chestnuts; Turk Dietrich’s deconstructed “Blue Christmas” and Au’s peculiar “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

The treasure trove here splits between reflective folk and emotive electro-pop.  Sub Pop offshoot Hardly Art is represented nicely by Arthur & Yu’s “My White Elephant” and Le Loup’s “Shenandoah” – each sounding more “wintery” than “Christmasy.”  Man of Arms crank up the volume (relatively speaking) with “It’s Christmastime and Everything’s Wrong,” a cheerful-sounding tale of bankruptcy and bread lines.  Other appearances of note include Blitzen Trapper, No Kids and Radar Bros.

As a bonus, many of these bands have catalogs that will reward those who seek them out.  That’s certainly the case for Figurine and Sally Shapiro.  Shapiro contributes a super-sweet “piano mix” of “Anorak Christmas” from her fine Disco Romance; even a non-traditional indie Christmas still requires some mistletoe.  Many will already be familiar with indie-pop beatmaker extraordinaire Jimmy Tamborello through The Postal Service and Dntel, but they may not know Figurine (and what a pity).  “The Holidays Behind Us” is a bittersweet tale with a trademark Tamborello musical backdrop; anyone who digs it should check out their simple, stunning track “Stranger” – and really the whole of The Heartfelt. 

So whether you’re having a blue Christmas, a white Christmas, or just looking for songs to soundtrack your resolution-writing, I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas finds fresh ground in a very well-trod area.

If you’d like to learn more about Amnesty International, visit the Amnesty International website.  And if you don’t think this album is up your alley but would still like to donate, you can do that, too.